I always liked the thought of purgatory because I know I am probably not good enough to make it into the big league. This way I could stay in the minors until I was willed up or came back for a second chance.
There's just something wrong with that whole statement. Catholics....like I said earlier, you guys are the greatest at confusing yourselves. :hihi:
I liked purgatory better also. Durango Mountain Resort lacks the same omph. This practice of changing names just for marketing has gotta stop.
I suspect what the Church has been doing is looking at what has been written about Limbo in the past and how does it fit into the surrounding matrix of Church theology. The concept of Limbo has been questioned by leading Church theologians and churchmen for a long time, and the Church decided that it's time had come.
Purgatory and Limbo are two different concepts and should not be confused. Unlike Limbo, Purgatory is a doctrine of the Church that has been taught for over a thousand years.
Very interesting. I think the concept of Purgatory, which dates back to the earliest of Christian traditions, is often misunderstood even by Catholics. Many people tend to think of it as a place. But it is probably best to think of it as a process. Even Protestantism, which has rejected Purgatory and decline to even use the term, have gradually come to the realization that since no one leaves this life without sin and spiritually perfect, there may be some kind of intermediate process involving further spiritual development or cleansing in which the soul is prepared for final judgement. The Jews also has a similar concept and the Old Testament speaks of praying for the sins of those who have died (2 Maccabees 12:43-46). In fact, if I am not mistaken, this is the scriptural underpinning of the concept of Purgatory. There are also passages in the New Testament that speak, at least by implication, of a process of purification after death, although they are not as clear-cut as in Maccabbes.
So is this proclamation, that Limbo does not exist, doctrine? Also would this be a matter of faith and morals? I ask because I wonder if a pope can even make an infallible statement on the subject.
I'm sure this has been asked in one of the 50 billion threads on religion and it's offtopic but I really don't feel like searching through them all but when exactly is the Pope considered infallible? Is it only when teaching from scripture or is it more of a whatever he says about the Christian faith?
Infallibility applies only to solemn official teachings on faith and morals, not to disciplinary decisions or even to unofficial comments on faith and morals. A pope’s private theological opinions are not infallible, only what he solemnly defines is considered to be infallible teaching.
The pope has never made an infallible statement on the subject. There has only been two infallible statements in the entire history of the church, both dealing with faith and both dealing with Mary. The first was the Immaculate Conception doctrine, and the second was the doctrine of the Assumption.
